Lawmakers propose school security tax plan

Posted: January 23, 2013 - 12:26pm

ASSOCIATED PRESS

AUSTIN — Three Houston-area lawmakers want to allow voters to set up special taxing districts to pay for enhanced security at Texas public schools.

Schools typically pay for security measures out of their general budgets. The plan broadly outlined Tuesday allows voters in each district to decide if they want to create new taxes to pay for security from cameras to armed guards.

Sens. Tommy Williams and John Whitmire, and Rep. Dan Huberty, say their plan idea is in response to last month's mass shooting at an elementary school in Newtown, Conn.

Williams and Huberty are Republicans. Whitmire is a Democrat. Their plan is separate from Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst's idea of having the state pay for special weapons training for teachers and other school workers.